Daimler is spending billions to upgrade the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant to build fuel cell cars. Ford's Go!Drive carsharing program enters its beta stage in London. The Department of Energy is offering $20 million for developing more efficient industrial motors.

With gas prices down, that means green car sales are likely to decline as well. TrueCar's TrueSavings report has the evidence to support that idea, with one electric car and two hybrids among the top five in January for the biggest transaction price savings compared to MSRP.

Walk into a traditional auto dealership today and ask about buying a plug-in car and there is a good chance you will be told that there are only a couple they can show you because they are extremely popular and they can't keep them on the lot. There is also an equally-good chance you'll be told they've only a couple on hand because nobody wants them. This is only one of many surprising discoveries Consumer Reports made during a recent effort to gauge the quality of the plug-in vehicle retail exp

When we saw a note about a recall for the Ford Focus Electric, our first reaction was, "is that a new one? Because it's getting hard to tell." This year, we've already seen the Blue Oval's all-electric hatch recalled for non-working door chimes and a "wiring incompatibility" in the headlights. The car is also reportedly under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the "Stop Safely Now" issue.

The feds are stepping in to investigate the "Stop Safely Now" messages that a Ford Focus Electric vehicle driver reported to AutoblogGreen earlier this year. The situation is a serious one, but not widespread as Reuters reports that the NHTSA has received just 12 complaints. Not a big number considering Ford has sold 1,910 Focus EVs through August of this year, and Reuters estimates 1,000 of the EVs are included in the just-launched federal probe.

Between slow sales and a hefty price drop for its nearest rival, the Ford Focus Electric may be looking at a pretty substantial price cut. The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will drop the price of the all-electric by about $4,000 to $35,200 to be more competitive with the Nissan Leaf, which received a big price cut for 2013 down to $28,800.

So far this year (through the end of May), Ford sold 723 Focus Electrics in the US. Not a whole lot – especially compared to Nissan, which sold more than ten times that many Leafs (7,614). What's interesting is that Ford isn't going to immediately make a bunch of changes for the 2014 model year to try and push that number up. Not according to a report in The Detroit News, anyway.

So far in 2013, Ford has sold roughly 600-700 Focus Electric vehicles, which can help put the fact that we have just four officially reported problems with something called the "Stop Safely Now" light into perspective.

Some automakers are saying that adding a fake engine noise – or some other warning sound – to plug-in vehicles would subtract that "cha-ching" sound from auto dealers cash registers. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and some automakers outside the group say a mandate for artificial noise makers on electric cars could cause fewer people to buy them, Automotive News says.

About one in three US Ford dealers will be certified to sell plug-in vehicles by this spring, as the automaker gets ready to increase sales of its Focus Electric vehicle and C-Max and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids, Automotive News reports, citing the company.

The Detroit News reports Ford is having real trouble moving its new Focus Electric. As a result, the automaker is offering substantial incentives in an attempt to lure in more buyers. How substantial? Try $10,750 off of a three-year lease. What's more, the EV can now be had for $37,995 ($2,000 less than its original base price) on top of an additional $2,000 cash discount to buy the EV outright – or you can opt for 1.9-percent financing if you work through Ford Motor Credit. None of which

Ford may not have a dedicated hybrid or EV platform, but it does have a new "Electrification Center of Excellence" down the street from its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford announced yesterday that it now has some 1,000 engineers devoted to electrified vehicles, most of whom work "under one roof" at the facility.

Ford may not have a dedicated hybrid or EV platform, but it does have a new "Electrification Center of Excellence" down the street from its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford announced yesterday that it now has some 1,000 engineers devoted to electrified vehicles, most of whom work "under one roof" at the facility.

The first 2012 Ford Focus Electric hatchbacks started trickling into dealerships a couple months ago and the other day, Consumer Reports was finally able to pick up one for its very own. The logistics of that purchase, though, caused the first complaint.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is officially on its way to dealerships. Outlets in California, New Jersey, and New York – 67 in all – are going to be the first to receive the electron-fueled Focus, with about six cars each winding up on lots. To help dealers build more excitement for what's likely to be a slow-starting sales story, the dealers will hold one of the Focus EVs as a demonstrator.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is officially on its way to dealerships. Outlets in California, New Jersey, and New York – 67 in all – are going to be the first to receive the electron-fueled Focus, with about six cars each winding up on lots. To help dealers build more excitement for what's likely to be a slow-starting sales story, the dealers will hold one of the Focus EVs as a demonstrator.